Triumph Grand Prix

Some years ago I started collecting parts for a pre `47 classic racer. I had a Triumph rigid frame and a tuned 5T engine.
At the time I was working in a motorcycle shop who was dealing with British bikes. One day I was talking about my plans to a customer, after a while he asked me if I would prefer to build a Grand Prix instead. .....of course I would rather have a Grand Prix....and a new car and a big house. But he was not pulling my leg; he had a lot of genuine GP parts he wanted to sell. Some days later the parts was mine.
Well it`s a long time ago, and now finally I have started to put the bike together. Just to make things a little more complicated my brother and I are assembling four rigid Triumphs at the moment. The first one we bought in 1978!Factory advert from 1946.Here is Ernie Lyons on the first Triumph GP winning the 1946 Senior Grand Prix in the Isle of Man.
The powerplant: 40bhp @ 7,200rpm, top speed: 120mph

Ca 200 exampels of the GP model where produced

This Triumph model is not a GP, just a model. Can be quite confusing, but a Triumph model can cost You more than a GP model.

I will post some photos of the progress later.

Ok Supreme, Britannia ?

This is a wonderful period shoot from 1935. The bike is an Ok Supreme, and can be an Brittania from 1933/34. I am not sure, there are something that are different from the sales catalogue. Can be an Phantom with foot change?
The bike was sold off before the war, and we don`t know if it still exist.
The Britannia was the top of the line from Ok Supreme. The other models had hand change and deeper mudguards. The Britannia was listed with secial cylinder head, foot change Burman 4 speed close ratio gear box, Webb TT girder fork and could be delivered with BTH racing magneto.

Ok Supreme Delivery 1977

These photos are from 1977 when former master painter Herman Hansen delivered the Ok Supreme to the chairman of the motor club.

Post man

The weekend are saved. Just got this book from 1937 in my mail box.

The Dumb way round

Today i heard on the radio that my friends and motorcycle heros/dumb asses (take your pick) are home for a holiday because the bikes are shipped to America. They are going around the world on pre war Nimbuses with side cars. Check it out here : http://www.kccd.no/home_en.html Two years ago I borrowed the red Nimbus at a vintage rally.

Handy to bring petrol...

Hang on.

This photo was taken for more than 40 years ago at Hovland, a horse race track in Larvik. On the photo it says that it`s a one cylinder BSA. The bike has chromed brake plate, mudguard and stays, so I believe it`s a Gold Star.
It`s a great shot, thanks Reidar.

Classic trail

Some friends of mine started to talk about the possibility to take up trail. I will lend them my Bultaco in the spring, so they know what it is like. I got inspired so I posted some photos from varius classic trial meetings.Bultaco Sherpa, 350 cc, 1975. The thing to win on........35 years ago...My brother posing on my BSA Gold Star racer. For the time prepared for flat track racing.
The Bultaco and my Beta 350cc from 1989. The winner bike of the Norwegian trial championship in 1989.Lars on a Triumph Tiger Cub.

A trial in Sweden..

Collecting points.

Tom on his Bultaco Sherpa from 1965. The first of the classic Bultaco trail bikes.

The Bultaco in a winter race.......rear.

Ok Supreme cylinder head

Finaly I got all the parts for the cylinder head. The valves, valve guides and springs are the same as Brough Superior SS100. I felt rich when I for the first time in my life ordered parts for a Brough!Now the head are redy with new paint, grinded in valves and new guides and fresh springs.

Bitts and pices...

When you restore and build up old motorcycles, looking for spares can often take more time than the actual wrenching. But it's part ofthe fun, you meet nice people. Get to see the world......eh...well, some of it. I have seen my share of sheds, workshops and cellars.

A few weeks ago I had to go to Germany for some work training. But I managed to mix in some pleasure in the work...(No, I was not thinking of bars and girls).

Out in the countryside of Germany, not far from Hameln (where they play flute for rats), there is a company dealing with old bikes.....No, it's not German bikes, English and some American iron rules the premicises.
A round house with a Dunlop sign.......must be the tire storage.Fun to see so mutch English bitts so far from the white cliffs of Dover.What are they discussing? "So you cook the goose for 2 hours an then add the carrots....I see"Peter Long the owner, are a specialist in older bikes, pre war stuff. Have a look at their homepage: http://www.cornucopia-enterprises.de/indey.html

Tryed this nice hog in Bremen. A pig in traffic...

London

Just been in London. Had a look at the "London to Brigton run" display in Regent street.
A De Dion tri cycle in trafic. Something for older kids?A nice 1939 HD Knuckle Head, spotted in Notting Hill. I have seen it before at Goodwood. You have to bring the right tools to adjust a steamer.

This is a pub i can like!

Ok Supreme updates

The aim for this winter is to get the OK S. finished for the Danish vintage rally "Skagen Rally" in May. The engine needs new valves, guides, and valve springs. The piston is stuck in the cylinder barrel. Have added light oil to lose it up.

The float chamber are dammaged, need a new one.

Have to overhaul the magneto and dynamo. Lucas in charge of the sparking.

A tale of an Ok Supreme.

One of the first motorcycles I can remember is an Ok Supreme. This is late `60s early `70s. Nearly every afternoon I or my brother had to go to a kiosk to buy father the evening newspaper. The kiosk was located in a road junction besides two petrol stations, bakery and some shops. For a young kid there was a lot of thing to look at, especially at the petrol stations.
Sometimes there was an old odd looking motorcycle filling petrol at the BP station. It was ridden by a small, old man with a strange coat. We later learned that the man was a Danish painter, who lived just a mile away. The bike was an OK Supreme 500cc.
Some years later the motorcycle interest took off. We were hunting high and low for old bikes. There was not a lot of interest for old worn out motorcycles, sometimes they could be picked up for free.
After awhile we heard of an Ok Supreme and off we went to have a look. The bike we saw was the one we remembered from years ago. The Dane had passed away in 1975 and in his will he had left the bike to the local motor club. The bike was not for sale, but it was started up for us so we could hear the sound of music. This was probably in 1980/81.
Around `95 the motor club needed money so they put the Ok up for sale. They wanted the bike to remain in town. At the time we could not afford the bike so it slipped away.
Some years later I saw the bike again, it was displayed at a local motorcycle show. It was still in untouched condition. I talked to the owner but he had not decided what to do with the bike.
This autumn my brother bumped into him at the hard ware store. He asked about the bike and the possibility to have a look. That was not a problem, so off we went.
He had never had the time to do something with the bike, so he decided to sell, the price was right, so surprise surprise, and the Ok supreme lives now in my shed.

We are not going to restore it, just do the things that have to be done to get it on the road again. I think the Dane would have liked that.

The power plant: A JAP 500cc engine

1933 Ok Surpreme Phantom

Adjusting a 1937 BSA

Here we have Stein Erik working on a 1937 BSA 500. Will it be ready for spring? I don`t think it is SAE 50 in his hand. I think this is where the Haynes manual would say: Contact your local dealer. I don`t think the local beer shop are considered as a local dealer.

Don`t loose your head now......

A hammer will do the job. If not use a bigger hammer.

Racing challenge!

I just got a mail with photos from my "friend" Gunnar. After the race at Kala banen he has been dreaming of Harley Davidson`s.
So off he went and got one.....That`s cool, but now he thinks he can win a race with me! this is what he writes:
"Do you envy me now? With your English good for nothing bike....I am going to show you my rear light and spray your face with dirt from my American made knobby tires...I just got the bike to take off that smug smile you have had since you won that race at Kala. I will make sure that you never win again...I will personally beat your sweaty mongrel of a bike with both hands in my pockets sipping Jim Beam"

Well, that`s what I call a challenge. First would you bring a knife to a gun fight? A John Deere to a formula one race? I think not. Well it also means that Gunnar have to lose a lot of weight. No beer and burgers this winter. Where will he find money for WR trick parts? In the cookie jar? We will see next spring.